Medicare Enrolled
Dr. Zulfiqar Cheema, M.D.
Surgery · Webster, TX
Practice pattern: Mixed Practice
— Diverse clinical practice across multiple procedure types
Low-engagement
Very High
DATA COVERAGE
Data in 4 of 4 federal sources
Measures public federal data availability — not provider quality
Informational, not a quality rating.
This page presents federal public records about Dr. Cheema from CMS (NPPES, Open Payments, Medicare Provider Utilization, PECOS). It is not medical advice, an endorsement, or a judgment of clinical quality. Always consult the provider directly and a licensed clinician for medical decisions. Read methodology →
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What this data tells you about Dr. Cheema
Dr. Zulfiqar Cheema is a surgery specialist in Webster, TX, with 18 years of NPI registration. Based on federal Medicare data, Dr. Cheema performed 2,767 Medicare services across 708 unique beneficiaries.
Between the years covered by Open Payments, Dr. Cheema received a total of $5,815 from 27 pharmaceutical and/or device companies across 90 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common in surgery. Most payments are for meals and travel — low-value interactions common across virtually all practicing physicians. Patients may wish to discuss these relationships with their provider.
The Data Coverage level for Dr. Cheema is Very High — reflecting how much public federal data is available about this provider. This is not a quality rating. Patients are encouraged to use this data as one of several factors when choosing a healthcare provider.
✓ 18 years in practice
▲ Top 3% volume in TX
$5,815 industry payments
Medicare Practice Summary
Medicare Utilization ↗2,767
Medicare services
Top 3% in TX for surgery
708
Unique beneficiaries
$38
Avg. Medicare payment
Medicare patients only (65+ / disabled) · Not a quality rating · How to read this →
~154 Medicare services per year of practice
Top procedures by volume
Ranked by number of services performed for Medicare patients. Avg. submitted charge is what the provider billed; avg. Medicare payment is what CMS paid.
| Procedure | Volume | Avg. paid | Avg. submitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) A contrast agent containing 300-399 mg/ml of iodine used to enhance imaging studies. It is administered per milliliter to improve the visibility of internal structures. |
1,900 | $0 | $1 |
| Office visit, established patient (30-39 min) A follow-up office visit for an existing patient lasting between 30 and 39 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
119 | $97 | $388 |
| Initial hospital admission, moderate complexity Initial hospital inpatient or observation care for a new patient involving moderate-level medical decision making, with at least 55 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
118 | $103 | $393 |
| Office visit, established patient (20-29 min) An office visit for an existing patient lasting between 20 and 29 minutes. The visit involves medical evaluation and management of the patient's condition. |
97 | $65 | $272 |
| Ultrasound guidance for blood vessel access Use of ultrasound imaging to help locate and access a blood vessel. This guidance assists healthcare providers in performing procedures such as inserting IV lines or drawing blood. |
78 | $11 | $50 |
| Ultrasound of leg arteries or grafts An imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of the blood vessels in the legs or any surgical grafts present. |
63 | $178 | $733 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg artery images A radiologist reviews images of the arteries in one or both arms or legs to assess blood flow and vessel health. |
55 | $72 | $360 |
| Radiologist review of abdominal aorta image A radiologist reviews images of the abdominal aorta to evaluate the blood vessel. |
53 | $52 | $288 |
| Office visit, established patient, complex (40-54 min) An office or outpatient visit for an existing patient lasting between 40 and 54 minutes. This level of service is determined by the total time spent on the date of the encounter. |
52 | $134 | $540 |
| Arterial plaque removal, initial vessel A procedure to remove plaque buildup from an artery in the leg. This is performed on the first vessel treated during the session. |
28 | $466 | $2,096 |
| Ultrasound of head and neck blood flow, bilateral An ultrasound exam that uses sound waves to visualize and assess blood flow in the vessels of both the head and the neck. |
27 | $131 | $580 |
| New patient office visit (45-59 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 45 and 59 minutes. This code covers the total time spent by the physician or qualified healthcare professional on the date of the encounter. |
22 | $116 | $503 |
| Hospital follow-up visit, high complexity Subsequent hospital inpatient or observation care for an existing patient involving high-level medical decision making, with at least 50 minutes total time on the date of the encounter. |
20 | $91 | $359 |
| New patient office visit, complex (60-74 min) | 19 | $178 | $664 |
| Blood draw (venipuncture) Insertion of a needle into a vein to collect a blood sample. |
18 | $8 | $26 |
| Insertion of tunneled central venous catheter for infusion, age 5+ A surgical procedure to place a long-term catheter into a large vein for delivering medications or fluids. The catheter is tunneled under the skin to reduce infection risk and provide stable access for patients aged 5 and older. |
18 | $186 | $783 |
| Arterial plaque removal in leg A procedure to remove plaque buildup from the arteries in the leg to restore blood flow. |
15 | $311 | $2,206 |
| Arterial plaque removal, each additional leg vessel This procedure involves the removal of plaque buildup from an additional artery in the leg during the same session. It is performed to restore blood flow in the treated vessel. |
15 | $258 | $965 |
| Groin artery stent insertion, initial vessel A procedure to place a stent in the initial artery of the groin to keep it open and maintain blood flow. |
13 | $343 | $1,480 |
| Artery plaque removal and stent insertion in leg This procedure involves removing plaque buildup from leg arteries and placing stents to keep the blood vessels open. |
13 | $488 | $2,261 |
| Radiologist review of arm or leg artery image A radiologist reviews images of the arteries in the arm or leg. This process involves analyzing the visual data to assess the blood vessels. |
13 | $61 | $400 |
| New patient office visit (30-44 min) An initial office visit for a new patient lasting between 30 and 44 minutes. This code is used when the total time spent on the date of the encounter falls within this range. |
11 | $91 | $339 |
How to read this data: This reflects Medicare patients only (typically 65+). Payment amounts are what Medicare paid the provider, not your out-of-pocket cost. A higher procedure volume generally indicates more experience with that procedure.
1.6% high complexity
74.7% medium
23.7% routine
Industry Payment Transparency
Open Payments through 2024 ↗$5,815
Total received (2018-2024)
Avg $831/year across 7 years
Top 38% in TX for surgery
27
Companies
90
Individual payments
All payments are legal and publicly reported · Not evidence of wrongdoing · How to interpret →
Payment profile
Industry payments classified by relationship type. Not all payments are equal — research and consulting reflect different relationships than speaking programs or meals.
Meals & Travel
Food, beverages, travel, and lodging — typically low-value
$5,815 (100.0%)
Payment trend by year
Annual totals from pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
2024
$303
2023
$1,670
2022
$703
2021
$581
2020
$1,480
2019
$854
2018
$225
Payments by company (2024)
Consulting
Speaking
Meals & Travel
Research
W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
$2,616
Endologix LLC
$688
Silk Road Medical, Inc.
$542
Bard Peripheral Vascular, Inc.
$507
Boston Scientific Corporation
$272
BARD PERIPHERAL VASCULAR, INC.
$224
Inari Medical, Inc.
$150
Tactile Systems Technology Inc
$118
Endologix, LLC
$113
Philips Electronics North America Corporation
$110
Myriad Genetic Laboratories, Inc.
$48
Cook Medical LLC
$40
Medtronic Vascular, Inc.
$40
Biocompatibles, Inc.
$39
BOSTON SCIENTIFIC CORPORATION
$34
Surmodics, Inc.
$33
AngioDynamics, Inc.
$32
Axonics, Inc.
$26
AbbVie Inc.
$26
Medtronic, Inc.
$25
Takeda Pharmaceuticals U.S.A., Inc.
$21
Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc
$21
Cardiovascular Systems Inc.
$21
Rochester Medical Corporation
$18
Wound Management Technologies, Inc
$18
CVRx, Inc.
$17
Tolmar, Inc.
$16
Top 3 companies account for 66.1% of total payments
Associated products mentioned in payments ›
ACUITY Steerable · ALPHAVAC · ANGIOJET · Alto Abdominal Stent Graft System · AngioJet Ultra 5000A · Axonics · Barostim Neo System · CAROTID WALLSTENT · COVERA · CT THROMBECTOMY SYSTEM KIT · CellerateRx · Diamondback Coronary · ELUVIA · ENHANCE Transcarotid Peripheral Access Kit · ENROUTE Transcarotid Neuroprotection System · ENROUTE Transcarotid Stent · EXCLUDER Conformable AAA Endoprosthesis with Active Control · Endurant · FLEXITOUCH · FLOWTRIEVER CATHETER · Flexitouch Plus · GATTEX · GENERAL - THROMBECTOMY · GORE EXCLUDER AAA Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE TAG Conformable Thoracic Stent Graft · GORE TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · GORE VIABAHN Endoprosthesis · GORE VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endo · IGT Devices Und · IN.PACT ADMIRAL · JATENZO · LUTONIX · LUX-Dx Insertable Cardiac Monitor · Ovation · PROLARIS · S · Sublime 014 Rx PTA Balloon Dilatation Catheter · TAG Thoracic Endoprosthesis · VARITHENA · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis · VIABAHN Endoprosthesis with Heparin Bioactive Surface · VIABAHN VBX Balloon Expandable Endoprosthesis · VRAYLAR · Venovo · XARELTO · ZILVER PTX · myLUX Patient Kit with mobile device
Should you be concerned? Payments from pharmaceutical and device companies are legal and common — 57% of U.S. physicians receive at least one. They often reflect legitimate consulting, research, or education. What matters is whether a recommended drug or device appears in your doctor's payment records. If so, consider asking your doctor about it. How to interpret this data →
Most payments (100%) are for meals and travel — low-value interactions that are common across virtually all practicing physicians.
Equivalent to $210 per 100 Medicare services performed
Geographic Context
Surgerists within 10 mi
409
Per 100K population
8.6
County median income
$73,104
Nearest hospital
HCA HOUSTON HEALTHCARE CLEAR LAKE
0.0 mi
0.0 mi
Data Sources
| Provider Registry | ✓ NPPES | Weekly updates |
| Medicare Enrollment | ✓ PECOS | Monthly updates |
| Practice Data | ✓ Medicare Util. | Annual (CY lag) |
| Industry Payments | ✓ Open Payments | CY 2024 |
| Disciplinary History | — Not public | N/A |
This provider has data in 4 of 4 available federal datasets, with a Data Coverage level of Very High. This measures how much public data is available about a provider — not how good they are. How we calculate this →
Summary
Dr. Cheema is a mixed practice specialist, with above-average Medicare volume (top 3% in TX), with low-engagement industry engagement, with 18 years of NPI registration.
This summary is auto-generated from federal data. It describes data availability and patterns — not clinical quality. Read our methodology →
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Dr. Cheema experienced with contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based)?
Based on Medicare claims data, Dr. Cheema performed 1,900 contrast dye for imaging (iodine-based) services. Research suggests that higher procedure volume is often associated with better outcomes, particularly for complex procedures. Note that Medicare data only captures patients aged 65 and older, so the total practice volume across all patients is likely higher.
Does Dr. Cheema receive payments from pharmaceutical companies?
Yes. Dr. Cheema received a total of $5,815 from 27 companies across 90 individual payments. These payments are legal, publicly disclosed under the federal Sunshine Act, and common among physicians — 57% of all U.S. physicians receive at least one industry payment. Patients may wish to ask their doctor about these relationships, especially if a recommended drug or device appears in the payment records.
How do Dr. Cheema's costs compare to other surgerists in Webster?
Dr. Cheema's average Medicare payment per service is $38. Note that these figures represent what Medicare pays, not your out-of-pocket cost, which depends on your specific insurance plan and deductible. Procedure-level data above shows both what was submitted and what Medicare paid for each service type.
What does Data Coverage mean?
Data Coverage (currently Very High for Dr. Cheema) measures how much public federal data is available about a provider. It is not a quality rating. A "Very High" or "High" level means the provider has data across multiple federal sources (NPPES, PECOS, Medicare Utilization, Open Payments), indicating a long track record of practice, Medicare participation, and industry disclosure. A "Low" or "Moderate" level may simply mean the provider is newer, does not see Medicare patients, or has not received any industry payments — none of which are inherently negative. Read our full methodology →
Is this data up to date?
Each data source has its own update cycle. Provider registry data (NPPES) is updated weekly. Medicare enrollment (PECOS) is updated monthly. Medicare practice data has a ~2 year lag — the most recent available is typically 2 years prior. Industry payment data (Open Payments) is published annually, usually in June, covering the prior calendar year. We display the data date prominently on each section so you always know how current it is. See our data freshness policy →
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About this page
All data on this page is sourced verbatim from public federal records published by the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS): NPPES ↗, Open Payments ↗, Medicare Provider Utilization ↗, and PECOS. Publication is mandated by the Physician Payments Sunshine Act (§6002 ACA, 42 U.S.C. §1320a-7h) and the Freedom of Information Act.
This page is not medical advice, an endorsement, a recommendation, or a quality rating. The Transparency Score measures data completeness — how much federal information exists for this provider — not clinical performance, patient outcomes, or quality of care. Always verify information directly with the provider and consult a licensed clinician before making medical decisions.
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